Volvo debuted luxury S90 sedan with T-8 plug-in hybrid option

Swedish multinational manufacturing company AB Volvo unveiled 407 horsepower premium class car.
The brand-new vehicle features T-8 plug-in hybrid drivetrain, the Pilot Assist semi-autonomous drive system that works at up to 80 miles per hour (130km/h) and other cool gizmos like the anti-kangaroo system –definitely will come in handy if you’re living in Australia.

Unlike other automakers, Volvo doesn’t debut a lot of new vehicles during auto shows.

Even more, there are so few of them that I’m pretty sure that it’ll be hard as hell to name other eco-friendly vehicles except XC90.

However, everything is not about quantity.

The Scandinavian carmaker simply doesn’t want to launch into production half-ready, buggy vehicles.

A good reputation means a lot for folks from the country where the winter never ends.

That’s why all the vehicles must be perfect – even German automakers are put to shame with Volvo.

In terms of safety, Swedish vehicles are considered to be the best ones.

Anyway, we’re going a little bit off-topic.

Let’s start talking about our ‘King of Kings.’

2017 Volvo S90

2017 Volvo S90 is the premium class sedan packing a 407 horsepower hybrid drivetrain, the pilot assist semi-autonomous drive system that works up to 80 mph(130km/h), the anti-kangaroo tech they call “City Safety”, a huge tablet in the middle with Apple CarPlay (or Android) and a bunch of other cool things like cloud-based applications.

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In this car, there is everything we liked so much about XC90 and a little bit more.

“The S90 is a terrific addition to the Volvo Cars lineup in the United States, it will continue the terrific sales momentum Volvo Cars has gained within the last year” - Lex Kerssemakers, President and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America.

“Our idea was to bring something entirely new to this rather conservative segment and deliver a visual expression that exudes leadership and confidence on the exterior. On the inside we have taken the S90 to the next level, delivering a high-end luxury experience that promises comfort and control” - said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Car Group.

Exterior

The S90 uses the same design language as the XC90, which includes both the brand-new grille and the "Thor’s Hammer" LED daytime running lights. Although as slim as the XC90’s, the headlamps sport a simpler shape toward the fenders, giving the sedan a more consistent look. Down below, it gained a sporty bumper with a wide intake and a protruding splitter-like element.

Moving onto the sides, the S90 showcases a sleeker profile due to the coupe-like roofline, notchback style trunk lid and longer rear windows. The sedan kept its predecessor’s high waistline but received a significantly longer wheelbase. Around back, only the bumper section bears some resemblance to the S80, with everything else being brand-new to the nameplate, including the C-shaped taillights, the clean trunk lid (the license plate recess was moved into the bumper), and the larger "Volvo" lettering between the taillights. Unlike the S80, the S90 has no chrome trim.

As far as dimensions go, the new sedan is a tad larger than its forerunner. The S90 is 4960mm long, 1890mm wide, and has 2940mm long wheelbase. With almost all the extra millimeters added to the wheelbase, it’s no surprise that the S90 looks sleeker and more upscale than the model it replaces – the vehicle is roughly the size of a BMW 5 Series.

Interior

If you liked the XC90’s luxurious cabin, then you’ll definitely fell in love with the S90’s. The sedan looks pretty much the same on the inside, with mild revisions made to the dashboard and door panels. The dashboard is a bit slimmer and features larger wood inserts and taller A/C vents on the center stack, but everything else remained unchanged. It also includes the Sensus Connect touchscreen that debuted in the XC90, as well as the clutter-free stack with minimal dashboard buttons.

The center console, the seats, the steering wheel, and the instrument cluster appear to be identical to the XC90’s. More changes are visible on the door panels, but the overall feel remains unchanged from the SUV. And, I’m not saying that the S90 feels like an SUV on the inside, it only looks as cool and luxurious.

Vehicle dimensions

Length: 4,963mm (195.39 Inches)

Width (door moldings): 1,890mm (74.40 Inches)

Width (including mirrors, outer edge): 2,019mm (79.48 Inches)

Height (including shark fin): 1,443mm (56.81 Inches)

Wheelbase: 2,941mm (115.78 Inches)

Drivetrain and battery

The S90 borrows its drivetrain – T8 hybrid – and battery pack from the XC90 SUV.

That means AWD with 2.0-liter gasoline engine coupled with a crank-integrated starter generator and 8-speed automatic transmission with start-stop technology for the front and a 65 kW electric motor for the rear.

The T8 hybrid engine, which pairs a 2.0-liter, turbocharged and supercharged four-banger and a 60-kW (80-horsepower) electric motor connected to the rear axle, is good for 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque.

In the middle of the tunnel is a 9.2 kWh lithium-ion battery with just 6.7 kWh usable capacity.

That should enable anywhere from 15 to 20 miles (25 to 32 kilometers) of all-electric range depending on driving patterns.

Safety features

Besides the usual airbags for both the driver and front/rear passengers, the sedan comes with numerous safety features as standard. These include Lane Keeping Aid, Driver Alert Control, Road Sign Information, Run-off Road Mitigation, Run-off Road Protection, and the City Safety package. The latter is able to detect vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and large animals and it’s always active above 2.5 mph (4km/h).

The second-generation Pilot Assist is by far the most interesting feature as it turns the S90 into a semi-autonomous vehicle. When activated, the Pilot Assist system controls acceleration, braking and steering in order to help the driver follow the traffic flow within the current lane. The system reduces driver strain in tedious situations and increases safety while also delivering enhanced speed and distance keeping in the lane. The system now offers steering assistance functionality up to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h).

Price

AB Volvo has yet to announce pricing for the S90, but it should not be cheaper than the S80. For 2016, the S80 retails from $43,450.

Expect around the same price for Volvo S90.

Plans for the future

Volvo invested 11 billion dollars into its rebirth over the past five years and made quite a few promises along the way regarding its lineup and the development of cutting-edge safety technologies.

“With $11 USD billion of investment over the past five years we have not only reimagined what Volvo Cars can be – we are now delivering on our promise of a resurgent and relevant Volvo Cars brand” - said Hakan Samuelsson, President & CEO, Volvo Car Group.

Well, everything seems to be on schedule for now. However, everything is not that simple and the S90 is only the second brand-new model of the nine we can expect until 2019, and it’s crucial to bring new customers to the brand despite having the fiercest competition.

However, as we were talking at the very beginning of our article, everything is not about quantity.

Swedish automaker improved its sales figures by 8.9 percent in 2014 without even having the XC90 and with XC90 on board its year-to-date sales are now up 18 percent over the first eleven months of 2014.

The company is cutting the edge and there is no need to give any advice on how to make business .

Let’s simply wish the Scandinavian carmaker good luck and eagerly wait more news from them.